Campaign Overlay: Fantasy Firearms

Introducing firearms into a fantasy setting requires more than just gunpowder used by Orcs and Elves. Draksmoke adds that fantasy element to the simple discovery that charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter go BOOM when you mix and ignite them.

Draksmoke is fantasy gunpowder. Made from the burning liquid dragons use to make their deadly flames, Draksmoke is a dragon's breath weapon in powdered form. Few alchemists know the secret to producing true Draksmoke, and they guard it with their lives. Rich and powerful guilds have risen up around those that know the secrets: The Black Brotherhood, the Armigers and the Monopolist Consortium all trade in mundane gunpowder, powerful Draksmoke and newly forged firearms; each pursuing their own ends.

To make use of such a powerful substance, new weapons have been hammered out on the forges of the world. Only the finest steel tempered in the blood of dragons can withstand the power expended by Draksmoke. Naturally, new magicks have been conceived to protect warriors, kings, and knaves alike.

* Included in this Sourcebook: Four new player species * 10 new monsters * 11 new spells * 2 new Clerical Domains * 30 new feats * Dozens of new weapons (both mundane and magical) * and more!

Everything you need to bring real firepower to your fantasy campaign!

Excerpt from the Introduction...

Few inventions have shaped our world as profoundly as the gun. From the "shot heard round the world" to the assassination of JFK and thousands of other examples. Even taking a break from the "reality" of the gun we find them a staple of entertainment in movies, fiction, television and comics. Many modern and sci-fi role playing games pad out their pages (or even entire sourcebooks!) with weapon descriptions for players to choose from.But where is the fun in just adding archaic guns to a typical fantasy setting? This is a fantasy setting; so there needs to be more to it than simple gunpowder used by Orcs and Elves. Thus Draksmoke was invented to add that fantasy element to the discovery that charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter mixed together goes BOOM when you ignite it.

Draksmoke is fantasy gunpowder. Made from the burning liquid dragons use to make their deadly flames, Draksmoke is a dragons breath weapon in powdered form. Only a few alchemists know the secret to producing true Draksmoke; and they guard it with their lives. Rich and powerful guilds have risen up around those that know the secrets. The Black Brotherhood, the Armigers and the Monopolist Consortium all trade in gunpowder, Draksmoke and arms; each pursuing their own ends.

The alchemical knowledge of Draksmoke is the fantasy equivalent of having a modern day functioning nuclear program. Those without such knowledge seek it at great expense and risk, while those that possess it will do anything to keep the information a closely guarded secret.

To make use of such a powerful substance, new weapons have been hammered out on the forges of the world. Only the finest steel tempered in the blood of dragons can withstand the power expended by Draksmoke. Armor must be fashioned from the same blood-infused forges in order to turn aside blows delivered by Draksmoke weapons. Mundane armor is no match for even Lesser Draksmoke, made from the flame glands of fearsome elemental beings such as Salamanders and the gigantic Remhorhazas; a weaker alternative some try to pass off as true Draksmoke. Naturally, new magics have been conceived to protect warriors, kings and knaves alike.

The several "thinking races" have all taken up these new arms with varying degrees of acceptance. Orc and Goblin kind have embraced the new arms with reckless lust. The dwarves have seen the pragmatism of such arms. Humans, Halflings, Gnomes, and every shade of Elf have taken up the gun after some fashion. Other races have as well; some by choice and others through subjugation.Using the material in this book will allow you to integrate fantasy firearms into your game either gradually or as an existing and on-going set-piece. Background material about the various guilds involved in the trade is included, and can easily be dropped into any campaign world with little or no changes required.

Several new species are available for players, from the massive Colossi and their human-sized cousins, the Smokebelcher Men, to the diminutive Gunfire Goblins and the twisted nightmare that are the Sulfursouls. While all the thinking races have been affected by the invention of Draksmoke, these new races owe their very existence to the knowledge.

Add in some new monsters, feats, spells, gods and clerical domains, along with dozens of new firearms (both mundane and magical) and you have everything needed to bring real firepower to your campaign!

Here is a very nice comment from a customer on FaceBook:

"The book is awesome. I personally don't use the Draksmoke elements, as in my world Black Powder/Gunpowder exists, but the book is an essential part of my PF games. I owned both "FF" PDF's from RPGNow before I bought this, but there is still more than enough content here to buy this as well!"

Armory, Bestiary, Mini-Campaign Setting and Players Guide All-in-one! Fantasy Firearms from Skortched Urf' Studios is a criminally underrated product. Released in 2010, it has the misfortune of predating Paizo's official take on firearms in Ult [...]

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